Book Review

LAJJA
- TASLIMA NASREEN

 A doctor, born in Bangladesh to orthodox parents.

 A poet, columnist, and strong feminist.
 Her book was banned in her country.
 She had to seek political asylum in France to save her life.
 She remained untramelled by all these and kept writing.
 It is not just because she is intrepid, it is her uncanny knack of
story telling and an extremely limpid writing style that make her
extremely popular among the erudite circle.
The religious riots that happened in Bangladesh, had a strong effect
on the author’s mind due to which she chose to write the truth. Her
work was called as an assault on Islam and she found herself at the
receiver’s end to receive the wrath of the society. The book
addresses issues which commonly happen to a minority religion in a
country.
 LAJJA
- TASLIMA NASREEN

• Her book Lajja, is set in the backdrop of the Babri masjid demolition saga, back in the
year 1992, which caused a strong religious, political and social impact, and resulted
in riots in sensitive areas throughout the subcontinent.

• The stage is set in Bangladesh and the tale revolves around an extremely patriotic
Hindu family. Suranjan, a prodigal middle aged man with little or no accomplishment
in his life to boast about, is a son of a doctor (Sudhamoy) with strong national values.

• Sudhamoy supported his clan during the national movement and worked for the
cause of the nation and in turn, his own country men for whom he stood for, rewarded
him by mutilating his genitals! Despite all this, he strongly believed that Bangladesh
was his home and refused to move to Kolkata( India).

• Suranjan despite being deprived of opportunities due to his religious background,

very much like his father, loves his motherland. Sudhamoy’s wife Kiranmoyee is
depicted as a very kind and a loveable character who stands by her husband and her
family during the testing times.
 LAJJA
- TASLIMA NASREEN

• Their daughter Maya, a vivacious lady is distraught with compatriots’ attitude towards
them and her family’s idealism to remain in their country even during the hour of peril.
The story speaks about the attrocities and cruelities inflicted on Hindus in general and
Sudhamoy’s family in particular during the riots. The story is gripping and the climax
is extremely poingnant.

• The Hindu girl who was sadistically molested by the fundamentalists was at last found
as a bundle of flesh.
 LAJJA
- TASLIMA NASREEN

• Taslima Nasrin, the writer of the book, has dedicated the book "to the people of the
Indian subcontinent", and has announced the beginning of the book with these words:
let another name for religion be humanism.

• Taslima in her tale, butresses her fiction with facts. Her attempt in this book is not to
malign any religion, it is an earnest entreat to the human race to embrace humanity
and shun fanatism. I recommend this book with great pleasure. I wish the extremists
who kill men in the name religion, get a chance to read this book.
Lajja is easily one of the finest I have ever read.